Beyond the Basics: Asking the Right Questions in a Tech Interview

Finding the right candidate for an open position can be challenging, especially in the ever-evolving tech industry. To evaluate a candidate's readiness for the job, you need to ask questions that reflect real-world scenarios. The right questions will help you optimize the interview process, and assess technical skills, cultural fit, and soft skills. In this post, we'll discuss how to go beyond the basics of technical interview questions and ask the right questions in a tech interview.

Preparing for the interview

Interviewers often underestimate the significance of this aspect. Many times, they enter the first interview without even glancing at the candidate's resume. However, reviewing the resume is crucial for determining which interview question to ask.

Through the resume, you can discern if the candidate has frequently switched jobs if they have remained with a company for an extended period, or if they have taken a significant break from work and the reasons behind it. Understanding the candidate's work history allows you to formulate more clarifying questions. If you're interested in delving deeper into the intricacies of hiring and why sometimes a promising candidate falls short in real life, I recommend checking out this blog post.

When examining someone's resume, there are key elements to consider:

Technical skills: What skills they have and how they relate to the job
Work experience: Where they have worked before, for how long, what their responsibilities were, and which positions they hold
Education and certifications: What degrees or technical certifications they hold relevant to the job
Collaboration and communication skills: Is there any mention of collaboration skills in the resume? Specifically, their ability to work well in a team, communicate ideas effectively, and handle conflicts with ease.
Projects and achievements: What projects they have worked on and their impact or success
Job experience and career goals: Why they chose a particular job, what motivates them, and their future aspirations
Any gaps in employment history: Reasons for gaps and how they utilized that time

Additionally, it's essential to have a clear understanding of the job description, basic requirements and responsibilities. This will help you ask focused questions and evaluate if the candidate has the necessary technical skills for the role.

Types of Questions to Ask

tips to help you prepare to technical interview questions

Asking the right questions begins with understanding what you want to know. It's important to have a clear idea of what you're looking for so that you can ask the right questions. If the position is recently vacated, it's important to determine the reason behind the departure. Was it due to personal matters or internal issues within the company? If it was due to internal issues, what were those issues?

Take time to analyze the position and identify the key skills necessary. Consider not only technical expertise but also the ability to handle conflicts and communicate effectively. Evaluate the specific skills and qualities the position requires, and tailor your questions accordingly. Here are some question types you can explore:

Behavioral Questions:

These questions measure how a candidate would react in real work situations. Ask questions that require the candidate to tell you about a specific time when they overcame a challenge, worked in a team, or learned something new. These questions help you assess their problem-solving skills, adaptability, and teamwork. Here are some examples, fill in the blanks with the details of the specific role:

Describe a situation where you had to collaborate with a cross-functional team to accomplish ____________. What was your role, and how did you contribute to the team's success?
Can you share a specific example of a time when you had to quickly learn a new technology or programming language? How did you approach the learning process, and how did it benefit your work?
Tell me about a time when you had to balance multiple projects or tasks simultaneously. How did you prioritize and manage your workload effectively?

It's important to listen carefully to the candidate's answers and ask for specific details or examples. This will give you a better understanding of their behavior and how they may handle similar situations in your company.

Technical Problem Solving:

These questions help you assess the candidate's technical competence in a technical interview. Make sure to ask relevant questions about the candidate's technical knowledge and experience. Depending on the level of seniority, tailor your technical interview questions to ensure that they are not too basic or too advanced. Here are some examples, fill in the blanks with the details of the specific role:

Can you explain how you've used __________ in your previous role as __________? What was the project, and what were the results achieved?
Can you explain a complex technical problem you've encountered in your role as __________? Walk us through how you identified the issue, the steps you took to resolve it, and the final outcome.
In your capacity as __________, can you discuss your familiarity with__________ and provide an example of a project where you utilized it?

Remember to also ask for specific examples and details to get a better understanding of the candidate's technical knowledge. Additionally, consider giving them a hypothetical problem or scenario and ask how they would approach and solve problems. This will give you an insight into their problem-solving ability and thought process when faced with a technical task or challenge. You can also ask about their experience working in a team and how they collaborate and communicate with others on technical projects.

Deep-Dive into Past Projects:

These questions will help you assess how the candidate approaches and completes projects. Ask specific questions that go beyond what's on their resume. This approach helps you determine how the candidate thinks, how resourceful they are, and what their problem-solving strategies are. Some potential questions to ask include:

Can you describe a time when you identified a process inefficiency? What steps did you take to improve the process, and what were the outcomes?
Share a specific experience from your work as ____________ when you encountered a project that was behind schedule or over budget. How did you address the issue and help get the project back on track?
Give an example of a project where you had to collaborate with a diverse team. How did you ensure effective communication and cooperation among team members?

These questions will help you gain a better understanding of the candidate's problem-solving skills, ability to work with others, and time management skills. Additionally, by asking about specific experiences, you can get a sense of the candidate's past projects and how they have contributed to their growth as a developer.

Best Practices and Latest Trends:

As a technical interviewer, it's crucial to stay updated on the latest trends and best practices in the industry. This not only shows your knowledge and expertise but also allows you to ask relevant questions that can help assess the candidate's understanding of current technologies. To ensure the effectiveness of your process, consider implementing these strategies:

Adapting to Seniority Levels:

As a hiring manager, you should always tailor your questions to the seniority level of the candidate. Senior candidates usually require more in-depth questions that showcase their experience, while junior candidates require more basic questions that gauge their competence. By adapting your questions to the candidate's seniority level, you can better assess their skills and fit for the role.

Using Behavioral Interviewing Techniques:

Behavioral interviewing is a powerful technique that emphasizes a candidate's past experiences and behaviors as reliable indicators of future performance. By using this method, you can ask targeted questions about how candidates have navigated diverse situations in the past (we have already provided some examples in the previous topic). This practice can give you valuable insights into their problem-solving skills, adaptability, and decision-making abilities.

Creating Realistic Scenarios:

Another effective technique is to create realistic scenarios that mirror the challenges and tasks the candidate will face on the job. This approach allows candidates to demonstrate their technical skills in a practical setting, rather than just answering theoretical questions. It also provides a more accurate assessment of their problem-solving skills, as well as testing their ability to work under pressure and collaborate with others.

Incorporating Technical Assessments:

To truly gauge and test a candidate's technical abilities, consider incorporating technical assessments into your interview process. These can range from a coding interview in specific programming languages to challenges to design tasks, depending on the role you are hiring for. By giving candidates hands-on challenges that simulate real-world scenarios, you can better evaluate their technical knowledge and determine if they have the skills necessary to excel in the role.

Assessing Soft Skills:

In the modern workplace, soft skills are equally as important as technical skills. In addition to technical questions, ask behavioral questions that assess communication, teamwork, and adaptability in the context of the role. This approach helps you assess the candidate's perfect cultural fit in your team and if they align with the company's values. Look for examples of how they have handled challenging situations in the past and how they collaborate with others to achieve success.We have a post that discusses how important soft skills are. Take a look here!

Staying Current:

The tech industry is always evolving, and keeping up to date on recent technological advancements is crucial. Ensure that your interview questions reflect the latest industry trends seamlessly. Additionally, consider asking candidates about their approach to continuous learning and how they stay current in their field. This will give you insight into their willingness to adapt and grow within your organization.

Following Up with References:

After conducting interviews and assessments, it's important to follow up with the candidate's references. This can provide valuable insight into their past performance and work habits from those who have worked closely with them. It's important to have a structured approach when contacting references and asking specific questions about the candidate's skills, experience, and work ethic.

In conclusion, as a technical interviewer and hiring manager, staying informed about the best practices and latest trends in the industry is pivotal to conducting effective technical interviews, and making informed hiring decisions. By combining these strategies, you can refine your hiring process and build a team that excels in your organization while contributing to its ongoing success.

The interview process

The number of interviews and the hiring process for a tech candidate can vary depending on the company's specific needs, the role, and other factors. To make the interview stage of the process both quick and effective, consider the following steps:

Initial Resume Screening:

Conduct an initial resume screening to filter out candidates who meet the basic qualifications.
Use applicant tracking systems (ATS) or resume parsing tools to automate this step and save time.

Phone Screening:

Have a recruiter or HR professional conduct a brief phone screen to assess basic qualifications, interest, and initial cultural fit.
Use structured questionnaires to streamline the phone screen process and ensure consistency.

Interviews:

Conduct a technical interview to assess a candidate's technical skills.
Use technical assessments like coding tests, system design discussions, or hands-on exercises.
Use video interviews to save time and reach candidates in different locations.
If the first interview was too long, consider a separate interview to assess the candidate's soft skills and cultural fit. Otherwise, you can efficiently evaluate these aspects in a single session.
Use structured behavioral questions to evaluate communication, teamwork, and problem-solving abilities.

On-Site Interview (if necessary):

If the role demands an on-site interview, keep it focused and efficient by combining technical and behavioral assessments.
Minimize the number of on-site interviews to reduce time and logistical challenges for both candidates and your team.

Final Interview:

Have a final interview with key decision-makers or senior leadership to evaluate the candidate's alignment with the company's vision and culture.
Streamline this interview by focusing on high-impact questions.

Reference Checks:

Conduct reference checks after a successful interview to verify the candidate's qualifications and experience.
Use standardized reference check questionnaires to save time and ensure consistency.

Offer and Negotiation:

After a candidate passes all interviews and reference checks, extend an offer.
Streamline the offer and negotiation process by having a clear and competitive compensation package.

In conclusion, the tech candidate interview process can be flexible, but a well-structured approach ensures efficiency and effectiveness. These steps and tips, when thoughtfully executed, help in attracting top tech talent while saving valuable time and resources.

How to make the hiring process quick and effective:

Making the hiring process swift and effective is essential to secure the best talent. This requires a strategic approach that harnesses technology, standardizes procedures, and values transparency. In this guide, we explore practical methods for optimizing your hiring process.

Use Pre-Employment Assessments: Consider using pre-employment skills assessments and tests to quickly gauge a candidate's technical skills before committing to multiple rounds of interviews.
Leverage Technology: Use applicant tracking systems (ATS), interview scheduling software, and video interview platforms to automate administrative tasks and streamline communication with candidates.
Interview Panel Training: Train interviewers on effective questioning techniques, legal compliance, and your company's values and culture to ensure consistency and effectiveness in interviews.
Standardize Interview Questions: Create standardized interview questionnaires for each interview type to ensure consistency and make it easier to compare candidates.
Set Clear Timelines: Communicate a clear timeline to candidates, so they know what to expect at each stage of the process.
Continuous Improvement: Regularly evaluate your hiring process, gather feedback from candidates, and make improvements to reduce bottlenecks and enhance the candidate experience.
Partner with it recruiters: Consider partnering with IT recruiters who specialize in the tech industry and have an extensive network of qualified candidates. This can save you time and effort in finding top talent.

By combining these strategies, you can create a hiring process that is both efficient and effective, allowing you to attract and retain top tech talent while saving time and resources. Efficiency in your hiring process not only saves time but also enhances the overall candidate experience. By consistently improving your procedures, leveraging technology, and fostering transparency, you create an environment that appeals to top tech talent. As you embark on this journey, remember that streamlining your hiring process is a key step towards building a successful and innovative team.